Wild by Cheryl Strayed - Second Read

 I'm so glad I saved this book! I just reread my initial response to it, several years ago, and I am less shocked and dismayed this time around about her earlier heroin use. Maybe because I knew it was coming? At any rate, this woman finally got her head on straight, and it was fun to witness the process through her writing about her hiking.

I am more motivated than ever about two places to hike: the John Muir Trail, though it's not mentioned too much here, and Crater Lake. I must go see and hike near Crater Lake! I must! I will! 

Cheryl's descriptions of the people she meets along the way are one of the things that made me enjoy this book so much. It's fun to remember my early wandering days around Europe and being open to meeting and bonding with people in this fashion. I wish I had journaled more about them! It's crazy how I thought I could never forget those people or places, and yet...I did! I'm doing a better job of journaling these days, and that's one of the reasons. It's also good to reflect as I write on what makes each person a unique gift. 

 

Thirst by Heather Anish Anderson - second read

 I'm so happy I saved this book for a second read. It's been awhile since my first read throgh, and I enjoyed it just as much this time around. I like how she describes her hike day by day, practically. Since we've been living in St. George, I've been able to hike more regularly.

I'm so funny, though, because I read about Anish's adventures, and I think, I should do that! Yes, I could do ten or twenty miles a day with blistered feet! And then I go up to Snow Canyon and hike, which I love, and I'm really tired after five or six miles! One day I did nine, and had to rest for two days! It would be fun to build up my stamina, but at age 72, maybe this isn't the right goal for me. 

Through-hiking isn't my goal, but building up to ten is a worthy goal, one that I could possibly sustain. And I would love to do more hiking with the grandkids, although Henry is the only one currently who seems to enjoy it. That's okay. And this weekend, Gabe has agreed to hike with me when I'm there. Hooray! Hooray!

Thirst - 2600 Miles to Home by Heather "Anish" Anderson

This hiking book is a good one. Well-written, introspective, with poetic descriptions of the Pacific Crest Trail. Anish is a strong woman who has felt "average" or "less than" her whole life. In hiking, she has found contentment in being exactly who she is. As she fights her mind demons, she gradually learns to overcome her fears and accept herself in a beautiful way. I wonder about her inability to lead a "normal" life, but in choosing what she has (life on the trail), she does so with integrity and grit and honesty.

This book goes back and forth somewhat from this present hike where she set out to set a record of hiking it faster than anyone before, and her previous hikes. The contrast between her earlier hikes and this one informs the reader in an interesting way. There is no time for much socializing because Anish is so driven to beat the time record in hiking this trail from Mexico to Canada. The descriptions of the scenery are beautiful, but fleeting as she traverses so quickly up the trail. There's still plenty of time to ponder what her brain is doing, though, and that makes for an interesting story We read about her ultra-marathoning, her amazing athleticism, and her apparent inability to believe that she herself is an athlete. Overcoming her overweight adolescence and early adulthood is an interesting journey that she chronicles well.

She doesn't dwell on her marriage or divorce much beyond the fact that it was an amicable divorce and she meeets her ex on the trail and has a positive encounter. I loved the story of when the fastest known hike record holder, Scott Williamson, found her on the trail and treated her to some organic groceries and wished her luck on her quest. It was also interesting to learn about people following her hike on Facebook and begin to call her "Ghost" and occasionally find and talk to her. These celebrity hikers are interesting to me.

I also became more motivated than ever to hike this summer and fall and beyond! The John Muir Trail overlaps with part of the PCT, and I would love to hike that! A cool learning curve for me! Not as a through-hiker, but as a day hiker, and perhaps with a grandkid or two! Here are some descriptions I highlighted as I read:

Page 51 - These thru-hikers often begin the trail solo, but most find that what they thought would be a lonesome human vs. wilderness experience becomes a chain of shared human connectedness.

Page 101 - Instead I continued on because of my stubbornness, yes, but also to allow scars to form when I wrestled with grief, memories, loss, and destiny on a sliver of trail in the moonlight. I was opening myself to true healing by finally dealing with my wounds. Sometimes all I had to do was acknowledge my own stubbornness. Others I had to rip off old scabs and let new ones form into thicker, beautiful scars.

Page 122- Encounter with Scott Williamson

See also September 2023 for my reread...

Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart by Carrot Quinn

This author wrote in a repetitive style that reminded me of plodding along on a hike. I grew to like it. She repeats words in threes...like hike, hike, hike or hunger, hunger, hunger. She is inexperienced as a hiker, and we get to learn lessons right along with her. She's brutally open and honest and describes the culture of her group of hikers as being extremely close, dirty, and loving. It's an interesting mix! Also, the language is colorful, with an annoying amount of F bombs, but it's often quoting the conversations...

Quinn also reveals a lot about the LGBTQ culture, by describing herself as "queer" and recounts her infatuations with both a woman and later, a man. Somewhat graphic in her descriptions, it helped me learn about "trail trash" and how this group interacts with each other. Sexuality is almost a non-issue in some ways, it's treated so casually. Often the hikers are so filthy that it's hard to imagine a sexual encounter being particularly appealing--but that's just my own 68-year old perspective!

It was fascinating to read about the challenges...like getting sick on the trail, and breaking a tooth, for example. How one hitchhikes to a nearby town, how strangers help out, and how, in the end, no matter what, sometimes all you can do is put one foot in front of another. And she does... I could tell this is one tough woman. I like how she gradually gains strength along the trail and astounds herself with what she can do... 35-mile days, for example, over mountain ridges. She loves trees and the sky and describes them similarly to how I feel about them. She also describes how the trail becomes her whole world and reality. What's happening outside of the trail becomes irrelevant. And her mounting sadness as she nears the end of the hike is interesting too. Other authors are rejoicing that they've achieved their goal, while Quinn is melancholy and lost at the end. She basically wants to live on the trail, and since this book, is apparently doing just that: living on other trails. Good for her.

Bliss(ters) by Gail M. Francis

This is the story of how one woman hiked from Mexico to Canada, on the Pacific Crest Trail. I enjoyed this self-published book because it is well-written and has little pull-out sections that teach you practical things you need to know if you choose to do this thru-hike. Some examples of the pull outs:

• HYOH - Hike Your Own Hike
• Typical Contents of Traditional vs. Ultralight Packs
• Trailnames
• Typical Food
• Gear Changes at Idyllwild
• Using Toilet Paper When There's No Toilet
• Foot Care

Francis does a beautiful job describing the scenery she hikes and the interesting people she meets. It was enjoyable to travel with her during her resupply stops, during a rainstorm, or climbing a summit. It's much more upbeat and less introspective than Wild. It was interesting to learn about the culture that exists among thru-hikers and the way they enjoy Trail Magic and Trail Angels. And hitchhiking and food foraging...many common themes here from the other hiking books I've read. A good, solid read, especially when she hooks up with her Norwegian friend Knut...

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

I was visiting Sierra one time, and her friend Ann Mines Bailey came to visit. I really like Ann, so I asked her what she had been reading. I figured what she liked, I would like. She told me she absolutely LOVED this book Wild, by Cheryl Strayed. So I ordered it.

At first, I was disappointed. The beginning of this story is so depressing. This woman has lost her moorings...although it wasn't clear that she really had any. Her close relationship with her mother was beautifully described, but her behavior after her mother's death was not something I could remotely relate to. Heroin? Really? That's when I began to think that this woman was such a disappointment that I almost gave up on her story. But I hung in there, and began to watch her learn from her mistakes and her choices.

The story of her feet, her boots, the people she meets on the trail are all captivating. I LOVE hiking, and I was enthralled by the thought of her solo attempt to take on part of the Pacific Coast Trail. I am sure I am too "citified" to take on a solo through-hike, so it was really wonderful to be able to experience it through this author's story. I enjoyed watching her mature as she faced challenge after challenge with courage and grit. It was also a sweet trip down memory lane...about what it was like to be comfortable with having no money at all, and making your pennies last to the next destination. It reminded me of my two years of living in Germany when I was young and adventurous. I enjoyed relating to that part of the story especially. Also, re-living the camaraderie that develops among fellow travelers was fun for me. So much learning happens when you travel solo! Occasionally I get snippets of that now, and I always come away grateful that I had the guts to put myself "out there."

See also September 2023 when I reread this!